What Inks Do You Recommend If I Want To Mix My Own Colors? - Q&A Slices

[@LifeCrier1]

I think offering a set is a fantastic idea and I'd totally order one. Especially if it's Noodler's.

[@Gouletpens]

Yeah, that would make for a good package set. We'll have to figure out the logistics, but certainly something we can do here in the near future. - Colin

[@MiddleAgedMisfit]

I agree. I recently bought a set of pilot varsities for an artist friend to try and get her into using fountain pens for some of her art (haven't given them to her) but I know if she likes them the color availability is going to be an issue at some point. A mixing set like this could address that.

[@WAYAWAYWithAsh]

If you had a CMYK + W set with an insert of about 5 unique formulas and some pipets and empty sample vials, that would be fun!

[@sophieberaud8972]

Would totally buy that

[@reasonnottheneed]

I've personally found that Apache Sunset generally works when you want yellow; it's technically an orange, but if you use it as yellow, it generally produces what you would expect, and with less ink because it's darker. Also, most of the time adding water just washes out the color, but with some ultra-saturated noodler's inks, adding some water does make it brighter (and then adding some more washes out the color).

[@MisterNiles]

That stuff has magical properties. That's all there is to it. I can't wait for the honeymoon period to end, so I can fall illogically and head over heels for some other magical color. But seriously. Aside form the flexibility it offers in the color department, all you have to do is sort of put some on a brush and kinda swipe at the paper, and you have an actual landscape, containing a sunset of some sort. In the midwest. In the desert. I don't know about the Apache part, but wow.

[@polksie]

Would it change my world? No. Would I buy a set, especially Noodler's? Absolutely. I think that would be a great idea.

[@cookiesmith8545]

I think a set would be wonderful! Thanks!

[@bartleyboy4]

Offering a set would be amazing! That would add an amazing element to the already fun attribute of choosing ink for a specific pen!

[@SakurabaAyane]

I agree with everyone that the trial ink set would be awesome!!

[@emmanemsandbutterflies3609]

I'm pretty new to fountain pens, but mixing inks is something I have definitely been interested in! I would love a mixing set = D

[@AJKlos]

I am heading to your site now to see if there are any CMYK sets. That’s a great idea!!!!!

[@marydetray6776]

YES I WANT A SET!

[@ichirofakename]

I'm sure it's too late, so I am manually putting together your Noodler's recommendations. Thanks for this. Initial results are encouraging, many nice clear saturated colors.

[@TheUnreadNovel]

I would love a set like that

[@LauraJayne64]

I would definitely buy the set!

[@Pasta_cat]

I would definitely buy a CMYK ink set

[@ZadenZane]

You're so lucky growing up in a print shop. I used to work with the typesetters at my local newspaper so I learned about printing from there. To this day I can't stand it when I read a book that's been set directly from Microsoft Word using stubby little hyphens when proper em-rule dashes are required.

[@Barbarossa19]

Yes, a mixing set please.

[@reasonnottheneed]

CMYK set sounds interesting! One other thing I'm looking for when I mix is trying to optimize the wetness of the ink; e.g. the black I use is 4:1:2 Noodler's black : HOD : water because HOD flows very wet in my experience, and my blue is usually a mix of Ottoman Azure and Noodler's blue. So maybe, if the CMYK works out, a 'wet' and 'dry' mix set?

[@drew9385]

Great video!

[@MisterNiles]

Dude! I too used to ride a pallet jack like a scooter in a print shop. As often as possible. I eventually got to run my own large format digital printing department (it was the early 90s) and didn't get to move paper and big jobs around as much, so most of my riding was done after hours... in a semi dark shop!!!! Me and the manager of the main floor rode the pallet jack as a matter of course, on our way to move something. It's the only way to fly... and really... You can't be blamed for going fast. You have to get those things up to about 5 mph before you have anything approaching steering with ease. Oh.. memories.

[@Dysl3xicDog]

A set would be great, especially if it included some recipes.

[@Vegetablefather]

This would be pretty fun to have an ink mixing set. I have never really got into the world of ink mixing mainly because I wouldn't know what to do and I don't have a lot of inks. But to have a set of inks to do it would be tons of fun.

[@1986turbozcs]

I was just last night contemplating whether there were mix-your-own ink kits etc. available. My thing is that even though ink lasts seemingly forever (I still haven't run through a 50mL bottle I got with my Waterman Phileas nearly ten years ago), I still have to obey my budget and just getting a bunch of different samples to try can add up, but I don't want to commit to, say, a bottle of 35mL that I might have to force myself to use if I don't like. Being able to make the color myself would make the idea of committing to a larger quantity more palatable to me, especially if the dyes were something along the lines of a box of food coloring vials in price and the main cost were the base dilution liquid. I would be interested in this. Of course, budget permitting.

[@crosscompiler]

I've been mixing the Noodler's five for some time now. Rather than using sample bottles I mix directly into eyedroppered Preppies (which I keep for reference), siphoning the 'hits' into converters as applicable. Small test batches require precision measurements; I use lab pipettes and both insulin and Goulet syringes (I need to buy more Goulet's - eight is a reasonable number to avoid having to constantly wash them out during a mixing session).

[@smileywolf]

I would love to see sets of ink with cmyk colors to mix!

[@sheenawarecki92]

I would love an ink mixing set personally! That way it would be easier to start without having to spend a bunch if extra time and money getting all of the stuff:)

[@ubeymarmondragon6433]

Thank you for make this video. I just bought 2 jar of Sheaffer ink, on black jar and one red jar with the intention of mixing and achieving sepia color. Do you think this is a good idea?

[@ReubenHanson2809]

Mixing mixing. I say a $40 set would be nice.

[@lindatheresejansson]

"This is changing my life can I pleace get a set" - commented! I would love for the white to also be included!!! I think the archiveble ones would make me the absolute happiest. I love my Noodler's black with those features! I can't really see myself using the other Noodler's because of them not having them...

[@Gouletpens]

Lots of demand in the comments for a set like this to exist. Hopefully we can figure something out in the near future! - Colin

[@lexnight]

A cmyk-w set would be really neat.

[@NakedSausage71]

Did the set ever come out? :)

[@sanjaymishra8291]

Which bottle inks do you recommend for pilot parallel calligraphy pens which will flow smoothly in it.

[@judyaznm820]

Jane Blundell uses the DiAtramentis magenta instead of fuschia in her CYA mixes. Do you have thoughts on that? I'm trying to mix a terra cotta/burnt sienna color without much luck (She suggest blue and brown or brown and yellow. I'm thinking I need brown and a red. Which red (magenta or fuchsia) do you recommend? I love the idea of a mixing set and would have bought it instead of the full bottles if that had been an option.

[@UARELOVE1010]

Can you mix different brand inks like Noodler's black and DeAtrementis document ink colors?

[@miguela.8278]

a kit would be an awesome idea count me in you do decide to sell one

[@genelo6890]

Hi Brian, I am a little late to this party. I have tried Noodlers Walnut and HoD ink and got a interesting brown black color. Air Corp & HoD came out like a olive green dark green color. So it is fun so far within same brands. Also the mix of ink does not quite follow the color chart combination of nature ( eg blue and yellow makes green) . Ink chromatography helps to see the original ink color makeup. but I heard stories where 2 inks some time clump together into a thick mess. May be some water to dilute the thick mess🤔🤔

[@tealorturquoise]

You could also go with an artist/painter primary colors of red, blue and yellow. That way you'd have a red instead of magenta and blue instead of cyan if you wanted a regular red and regular blue in your palette instead of a dark pink and greenish-blue. Just personal preference and another option.

[@dooomswear303]

I use india ink for my manga and I mix like 4-5 of them to make new colours and i store the mixed ink rather than making a new batch each time . Each companies ink consistency is different and even different colours have different density some are more potent some arnt usually black blue are really potent and like if I am making line green i take lemon yellow around 1 ml or 4-6 drops and i literally just touch it with green and it turns a really nice green but this is all just my observation

[@mohammadmazharulislam2459]

This what I have recently formulated, and honestly, I am very impressed with the results: 10 ml of Noodler's Navajo Turquoise 1 ml of distilled water (I know, I know, I just wanted a bit of washed out effect) 4 ml of Diamine Woodland Green

[@vishalyagnik226]

CMYK set would be interesting

[@xsoggyeggroll4966]

Are there any easy/efficient ways to get rid of ink stains on the inside of demonstrator pens? Specifically the filler of the Noodler's Ahab after using J. Herbin Caroube de Chypre 1670 ink. Thank you!

[@Gouletpens]

Brian tackles this in an earlier Q&A slice (kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKXMh2WfacSWpZI). Basically, pen flush can help a lot as well as using a q-tip to scrub it off. - Colin

[@josephorlow512]

As mentioned in one of the comments, mixing can be tricky in regard to how the ink will work in different pens. My understanding is that the De Atramentis inks pretty much all have same flow properties -- correct me if I'm wrong here -- since I only have the Document Black. But my Noodlers Apache Sunset is "dry" and didn't do so well in my Platinum Preppy, while 54th Massachusetts is a champ even in my EF PP.

[@Gouletpens]

The Document Inks are definitely good option, not sure about DA inks in general. But sticking with the Document Inks for mixing is probably the best way to go. - Colin

[@boredgrass]

Is the white ink transparent or opaque, i.e. does the white ink "cost" transparency? If I write with white ink, naturally Id' have to write on a coloured paper. If I want the ink to have a visual impact it needs to stand out from its background. That, I would imagine requires opaqueness. How is it?

[@sadashivkore5097]

sir can we want to mix fountain pen ink and cardrage

[@ettoregargiulo2397]

sorry .... i wonder why u do not mentioned the black ? if we want to darken a light blue or a light red, can't we use black? thanks

[@CapMIam]

Yes, please ! I just watched your video of an experiment with Platinum inks from 5yrs ago and did not see this on your website. Very interested in these kits. Perhaps have this on a made to order basis, whereby you would need to email by a specific day and the packages are only created once per week.

[@Gouletpens]

Yeah, it's definitely something we're thinking about. We'd have to be pretty strategic about the implementation, but I agree it'd be a cool set. - Colin

[@thefountainpendesk]

What do you think about platinum mix free inks and black stone cmyk

[@Gouletpens]

Can't speak on Blackstone as we don't carry it, but the Platinum Mix Free (despite it's confusing name) is definitely a good option for mixing. - Colin

[@justinmyrick9586]

Brian I found the pen I want to buy the Tactile Turn Gist copper version but I would like to know is it a as durable as the ink copper version because I want a strong pen

[@Gouletpens]

Brian actually compares the two in last week's Q&A (kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXO1fmiFe7iFiZIm52s). Both are very durable. It you want a smaller, pocket pen, go with the Gist. The Ink is big and heavy but can get tiresome for long writing sessions. - Colin

[@christopherreisenbichler2506]

Maybe a sample set with a handful of mixing vials thrown in? Get your feet wet with the ink mixing and be sure that your first few mixes have some place to sit around.

[@Gouletpens]

Yeah, it'd definitely include some empty ink vials, and syringes. Full mad scientist ink mixing set. :) - Colin

[@justinmyrick9586]

hey Brian I'm looking to buy a pen around the 200 dollar range and I'm in school so I do a lot of writing what would you say is the best pen for me

[@Barbarossa19]

Justin Myrick I recommend joining the Fountain Pen Geeks forum. There are many experienced people who are glad to help you out.

[@justinmyrick9586]

Brent Rollings thank you I will join that club

[@Gouletpens]

The Pilot Vanishing Point is great for students. With a retractable nib, it's very useful when needing to take a quick note. Any of our recommendations from our 'Entry-Level' gold nib pens would be good options: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJ22mZumfct0psk - Colin